Social Justice In The Bible

Social Justice in the Bible

Introduction

In the last one hundred years or so the Catholic Church has given great importance to social justice, that is not to say that before it did not, but this last century, to be precise ever since the encyclical Rerum Novarum was issued in 1891, Popes have written encyclical upon encyclical on the subject of Social Justice. In 2004 the Pontifical for Justice and Peace published the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church and although these doctrines and teachings are not very well known because they have not been properly proclaimed nevertheless they are very much at the heart of the Church. Catholic theology has always had to address the human person’s status within creation since Scripture

So true justice does not rest on what society reflects upon with reason alone. The place to learn about justice is first and foremost from the biblical narrative of God’s creative, sustaining and redeeming activity in the world. The meaning of justice is known primarily from God’s revelation in history, and in the Bible is found the record of this revelation. The Bible is the story of God’s self-disclosure in both word and deed, and it is from this disclosure that one comes to know and understand more what justice entails. Social justice finds its beginning in God, who is both social and just. In Scripture God reveals himself as a social being, revealing himself in the Trinity as three Persons in one God. In Genesis 1:26 ‘God said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”’ Notice how he says ‘our’ image and

John in his gospel says: ‘No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God, and who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him’ (Jn 1:18). Jesus is the ultimate revelation of the Father. Therefore besides coming to bring humankind salvation and reconciliation with the Father, he also came to reveal the Father. In everything he said and did he revealed the Father’s heart and will. And it is very obvious from Jesus’ life that God cares deeply for his people. It is evident in the Gospels how Jesus was moved with love and compassion for the lowly and the suffering. Matthew points out that, ‘He was moved with compassion for the crowds and healed their sick’ (Mt 14:14). And again, ‘He was moved with compassion because they were distressed and dejected like sheep without a shepherd’ (Mt 9:36). In the Gospel of Luke Jesus was moved when he met the widow of Nain on the way to bury her only son (Lk